At the first fireside chat of her tenure, Debora Spar, the newly inaugurated eleventh president of Barnard, came armed with questions about Tuesday’s historic election in lieu of knitting needles, as was the tradition of former president Judith Shapiro.
The Student Government Association-sponsored chat, held in Sulzberger Parlor and attended by a small group of about 20 students, centered mainly on a discussion of the presidential election. From the start, the chat had a distinctly different flavor from those held by former president Judith Shapiro. Whereas Shapiro’s chats were an opportunity for students to ask her questions while she knit, on Wednesday evening Spar did all the asking.
“I have no agenda,” Spar began, “I just want to know what you all have to say.”
Spar wasted little time before entering in to the meat of her topic. “How did you decide who to vote for?” she asked.
With that prompt, the students jumped right in, sharing personal stories about election night, discussing opinions about the election results, and debating on the nature and future of American politics.
For most of the chat, Spar let students do the talking, moderating the often-heated discussion by posing questions such as “How many people in this room were Obama supporters all the way through?” and “How do you feel about the future of women in American politics?”
The room teemed with excitement over the election of Barack Obama, prompting Spar to ask, “Does it bother anyone that there doesn’t seem to be a single Republican in this room?”
Spar waited until the end of the evening to add her personal thoughts. “I am worried because the task Obama now faces is huge,” she said. “But I’ve never seen anything like last night. This is the first time I’ve seen Americans physically involved in an election to this extent, and I hope we keep the love going.”
The format of Spar’s first chat allowed students to be more candid than they had been in the past. “Everyone seemed really open at this chat,” said Katie Palillo, BC ’10 and SGA Vice President of Communications. “In the past there has been a little reserve or nervousness amongst the students, but tonight everyone seemed ready to say whatever they were thinking.”
Those in attendance were also impressed by Spar’s ability to connect with the students. “Debora Spar is just so personable,” Eva Peskin, BC ’09, said after the event. “I thought Judith Shapiro was a great figurehead, but I think Debora Spar is someone who a lot of Barnard students can relate to.”
Julia Malyn, BC ‘09. agreed, adding, “Debora Spar’s such a rock star.”
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